Students and faculty who participate in a Network program by taking time out of their normal academic schedules to travel and experience the educational community of a member school are seekers willing to open themselves to new cultures and new ideas.

By experiencing, embracing, and immersing themselves in the cultural, racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic diversity contained in North America, participants have the opportunity to grow and increase their capacity for change by grappling with difference, understanding the position of the outsider, and learning to listen in different ways and for different outcomes. The ability to cope with discomfort, uncertainty, and to safely take risks creates individuals more able to adapt to a changing world.